Tony Giampetruzzi

Welcome to Boston Spirit’s list of the 25 most Powerful Players in the New England LGBT community. How did we choose them? Some names were no...

If Mike Michaud hangs on to his lead in the polls, he could become the nation’s first openly gay person to be elected to...

Maine is the most recent state to allow gay marriage, and the first in the nation to have the law approved by a majority of voters at the polls. Following the passage of the gay marriage law, many in the state have wondered: “What’s next?” After all, marriage is the default panacea of gay rights, and Maine ranks in the top ten states in the nation for gay-friendly laws. Another distinction? Maine has the oldest population in the U.S. with more than 300,000 elders age 60 and over. It is estimated that 15,000 of them are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. For many, the reality of old age comes, hits when one is faced with the reality of what it means to be senior.

Heroin? Contortionist? Model? It’s a dichotomy that’s only likely to play itself out in the most outrageous Lifetime movie specials. So, to hear Putignano’s story is quite inspiring if not fantastical.

Minus the trilogy of bars and smattering of gay-owned B&Bs, Ogunquit is its beach — and, face it, you can go anywhere on the...